American University of Sharjah Selects Jadu CMS to Redesign Web Presence and Help Manage Content

American University of Sharjah (AUS) is beginning a new era of online services for students, faculty, administrators and visitors as it prepares to launch a redesigned website based on Jadu's web transactional CMS platform.

As more institutions integrate their service offerings with their online presence, the need for a well organised and architected web presence is paramount. AUS is the first university to benefit from the recent collaboration between SunGard Higher Education, a global provider of higher education software solutions and services, and Jadu, a global leader of Web transactional systems, to offer the Jadu Web Content Management System internationally to SunGard clients.

Jadu's Content Management Suite combined with SunGard Higher Education's Banner Digital Campus solution will provide AUS with more options to reduce the burden on IT staff and improve the quality, quantity and management of web content.

The key driver for the website redesign was the need to tailor a web solution to the different needs of the institution's various constituents.

AUS's existing web site was six years old and Adobe Contribute content management system was used to update and modify the web pages.

Whilst meeting basic requirements, it did not enable easy and effective utilization of the University's information and knowledge base and had limited facilities to customise the user's experience.

AUS, an existing SunGard Higher Education client, selected Jadu after a competitive tendering process because of Jadu's experience with educational institutions such as Leeds University in the United Kingdom, where several web sites have been developed using Jadu CMS, including the University's corporate site (www.leeds.ac.uk).

Leeds University also utilises the SunGard Banner system to enrich the University's in-house developed online coursefinder, which is powered by Jadu CMS.

By controlling Web content on both internal and external sites, AUS has the opportunity to realign its website aesthetic and content elements to better meet the needs of both web visitors and content providers.

Farouk Achoui, Web Coordinator, American University of Sharjah says:

Jadu comes with many 'out of the box' modules that can be simply customised and managed to ensure the University maintains accessibility standards. New APIs and widgets can also be easily integrated with the system. Using Jadu will provide many benefits to the University with its powerful tools, non-technical interface, ease of use and flexible workflow.

Richard Friend, Global Business Manager for Jadu says:

We are looking forward to working with the American University of Sharjah to establish their new web platform and to delivering a more consistent user experience. The partnership between Jadu and SunGard Higher Education will enable the University to obtain the improvements in effectiveness and efficiency that are sought.

The end result for the AUS site will be a more interactive user experience providing fresh and appealing visuals to enable the user to easily grasp content and a highly accessible website compliant with international web standards.

The web site will also support video, podcasting and news; email marketing campaigns; online forms; and the creation and deployment of microsites and integration of social media networks and widgets for embedding other applications and back office systems.  

About American University of Sharjah

American University of Sharjah was founded in 1997 by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, American University of Sharjah (AUS), who envisioned the university as the leading educational institution in the Gulf region. Today, a complex of stunning buildings on a beautiful campus hosts over 5,100 students from 80 different nations, and a highly qualified and experienced full-time faculty of more than 350 dedicated individuals.

The vision and support of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, the commitment of its faculty and staff, and the adherence to standards of academic excellence, all have contributed immensely to the enviable reputation that AUS has come to enjoy throughout the Gulf. With a rich multinational campus environment, AUS has since the beginning aimed at fostering and encouraging cross-cultural contacts.

Located in University City, Sharjah, AUS is a not-for-profit, independent, coeducational institution of higher education consciously based on the American model and thoroughly grounded in Arab culture and is part of a larger process of the revitalization of the intellectual life of the Middle East. AUS offers 25 majors and 48 minors at the undergraduate level, and 13 master's degrees through the College of Architecture, Art and Design, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering, and the School of Business and Management.

American University of Sharjah is licensed in the United States by the Department of Education of the State of Delaware. It is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, 215 662 5606). AUS is also licensed by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and all undergraduate and graduate programs are recognized by the ministry and have been awarded either accreditation or accreditation-eligible status.

Typical of the American system of higher education, AUS also places great stress on the development of the non-academic aspect of a student's university life. Students are encouraged to participate in all manner of extra-curricular activities, form clubs and societies, stage events, work for the university student newspaper and literary magazine, and join the various sports and athletic teams on campus.

About SunGard

SunGard is one of the world's leading software and technology services companies. SunGard has more than 20,000 employees and serves 25,000 customers in 70 countries. SunGard provides software and processing solutions for financial services, higher education and the public sector. SunGard also provides disaster recovery services, managed IT services, information availability consulting services and business continuity management software. With annual revenue exceeding $5 billion, SunGard is ranked 380 on the Fortune 500 and is the largest privately held business software and IT services company.  For more information, please visit www.sungard.com.

Trademark information: SunGard, the SunGard logo and Open Digital Campus are trademarks or registered trademarks of SunGard Data Systems Inc. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries. All other trade names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

http://www.aus.edu/

Published: 13th December 2010